Shoe with a loop-fabric body

ABSTRACT

A shoe ( 2 ) for attachment of at least one decorative accessory ( 4 ) is provided. The shoe ( 2 ) includes an upper ( 6 ) for covering a foot of a wearer, At least a portion of the upper ( 6 ) has a loop fabric ( 8 ). The loop fabric ( 8 ) is configured to removable attach the at least one decorative accessory ( 4 ) with a hook fabric ( 10 ) to the upper ( 6 ). A system including the shoe ( 2 ) and the at least one decorative accessory ( 4 ), and a related method for customizing an appearance of the shoe ( 2 ), are also provided.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.61/135,886, filed on Jul. 25, 2008. The entire disclosure of the aboveapplication is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure relates to shoes, and more particularly, to asystem and method for removably attaching a decorative accessory to ashoe.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A typical shoe includes two main portions: a sole; and an upper. Theentire portion of the shoe that is located below a wearer's foot isgenerally called the sole. The portion of the shoe that covers an upperportion of the wearer's foot is generally called the upper. The sole mayinclude a variety of components such as an insole for creating a layerof comfort between the sole and the wearer's foot, a midsole for shockabsorption, and an outsole formed from a durable material for contactingthe ground. Likewise, the upper may include a variety of components,such as a toe cap that covers the front of the wearer's foot, a vampthat covers the mid-front of the wearer's foot, and a quarter thatcovers the rear and sides of the wearer's foot. The toe cap, vamp, andquarter may be sewn together separately, or provided as one or moreintegral pieces, and together may be referred to as the “body” of theshoe.

Depending on the shoe design employed, the shoe may also have afastening portion disposed adjacent an aperture in the shoe where thewearer inserts the wearer's foot. The fastening portion may includefasteners such as laces, zippers, and hook and loop fasteners. A tonguemay be provided, generally when the shoe includes a fastening portionwith laces, and may run along a top-center of the shoe between thefastener and the wearer's foot. The location of the fastener and thetongue is generally referred to as the instep of the shoe. The typicalshoe may also include a variety of other features for affecting thecomfort and overall aesthetics of the shoe such as liners, cushions,heels, toe inserts, and design elements for logos and the like.

It is known to provide a shoe that allows the wearer, and a particularlya child wearer, to attach one or more accessories to the shoe andcustomize the aesthetics thereof. One type of shoe system is describedin U.S. Pat. Appl. Pub. No. 2008/0060110 to Schmelzer et al., the entiredisclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. TheSchmelzer et al. shoe system attaches a decorative accessory to a moldedshoe through an expandable hole formed in the molded shoe. Thedecorative accessory has a shoulder configured for insertion through theexpandable hole. The shoulder is larger than the expandable hole andsecures the decorative accessory to the molded shoe when insertedthrough the expandable hole.

There is a continuing need for a shoe and related system thatfacilitates the attachment of accessories such as characters, toys,stickers, insignia, and the like, to the shoe. Desirably, the shoe andrelated system allows a wearer to simply and repeatedly customize theappearance of the shoe with different accessories.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In concordance with the instant disclosure, a shoe and related systemthat facilitates the attachment of accessories, such as characters,toys, stickers, insignia, and the like, to the shoe, and allows a wearerto simply and repeatedly customize the appearance of the shoe withdifferent accessories, is surprisingly discovered.

In a first embodiment, a shoe for attachment of at least one decorativeaccessory includes an upper for covering a foot of a wearer. At least aportion of the upper has a loop fabric. The loop fabric is configured toremovably attach at least one decorative accessory with a hook fabric tothe upper.

In another embodiment, a shoe system for attachment of decorativeaccessories includes a shoe having an upper for covering a foot of awearer. At least a portion of the upper has a loop fabric. The systemfurther includes at least one decorative accessory having a hook fabric.The hook fabric removably attaches the decorative accessory to the loopfabric of the shoe.

In a further embodiment, a method for customizing an appearance of ashoe includes the steps of: providing a shoe having an upper forcovering a foot of a wearer, at least a portion of the upper having aloop fabric; providing at least one decorative accessory having a hookfabric; aligning the hook fabric of the decorative accessory with theloop fabric of the upper; and pressing the decorative accessory onto theupper, wherein the decorative accessory is removably attached to theupper of the shoe.

DRAWINGS

The above, as well as other advantages of the present disclosure, willbecome readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the followingdetailed description, particularly when considered in the light of thedrawings described herein.

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a shoe according to an embodimentof the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the shoe shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the shoe shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the shoe shown in FIGS. 1-3,further depicting a decorative accessory according to the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional side elevational view of the shoe shown inFIGS. 1-4; and

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of an illustrative decorativeaccessory for use with the shoe shown in FIGS. 1-5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description and appended drawings describe andillustrate various embodiments of the invention. The description anddrawings serve to enable one skilled in the art to make and use theinvention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention inany manner. In respect of the methods disclosed, the steps presented areexemplary in nature, and thus, are not necessary or critical.

As shown in FIGS. 1-6, the present disclosure includes a shoe 2 to whichat least one decorative accessory 4 may be attached. The shoe 2 includesan upper 6 for covering a foot of a wearer. At least a portion of theupper 6 has a loop fabric 8. The loop fabric 8 is configured toremovably attach the at least one decorative accessory 4 with a hookfabric 10 to the upper 6. As a nonlimiting example, suitable hook andloop fabrics 10, 8 are commercially available under the brand nameVelcro®, from Velcro Industries B.V. and its affiliates. It should beunderstood that other brands and types of hook and loop fabrics 10, 8may also be used within the scope of the present disclosure.

In a particular embodiment, substantially an entire outer surface of theupper 6 may have the loop fabric 8. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, theupper 6 may have an inner layer 12. The inner layer 12 is formed from amaterial having a stiffness sufficient to maintain a shape of the shoe 2and support the at least one decorative accessory 4. The loop fabric 8may be secured to the inner layer 12, for example, with an adhesive. Theloop fabric 8 may cover the entire outer portion of the inner layer 12,or a portion of the inner layer 12. As nonlimiting examples, the innerlayer 12 may be formed from one of a leather material, a woven fabricsuch as a polyester or nylon fabric, and a molded polymeric material. Inan alternative embodiment, the upper 6 is composed entirely of a singlelayer of the loop fabric 8. One of ordinary skill in the art may selectother suitable materials and means for securing the loop fabric 8 to theinner layer 12, as desired.

With renewed reference to FIGS. 1-4, the shoe 2 has a shape facilitatingthe attachment of a plurality of the decorative accessories 4 thereto.In one embodiment, the upper 4 of the shoe 2 includes a body 14 having atoe or front portion 16, a pair of side portions 18, 20, and a rearportion 22. The front portion 16 has a width W1 greater than a width W2of the rear portion 22. For example, a ratio of the width W1 of thefront portion 16 to the width W2 of the rear portion 22 (W1:W2) is fromabout 1.25:1 to about 1.75:1. In an illustrative embodiment, the widthratio is about 1.5:1. It should be appreciated that the greater width W1facilitates the attachment of a multitude of decorative accessories 4 tothe front portion 16 of the upper 6. Other dimensions configured toprovide sufficient surface area for the decorative accessories 4 at thefront portion 16 may also be employed.

In certain embodiments, each of the side portions 18, 20 of the shoe 2has a concave outer surface 24. The concave outer surfaces 24 transitionthe rear portion 22 of the body 14 to the front portion 16 of the body14. The concave surfaces 24 permit the front portion 16 to bulgeoutwardly from a longitudinal axis A of the shoe 2. As illustrativelyshown in FIG. 5, the body 14 of the shoe 2 may have a substantiallyconstant thickness. In another nonlimiting example, the body 14 of theshoe 2 may have a greater thickness in the front portion 16, such asthrough use of puff or padding inside of the shoe 2, to optimize comfortfor the wearer of the shoe 2. A skilled artisan may also select otherdimensions for the body 14 of the shoe 2.

It should be understood that the body 14 of the shoe 2 has an aperture26 that allows the wearer to insert the wearer's foot into the shoe 2. Aborder 28 may be disposed adjacent the aperture 26. For example, theborder 28 may surround the aperture 26. The border 28 may have athickness greater than a thickness of the rest of the body 14, forexample. At least a portion of the border 28 may have the loop fabric 8,allowing the wearer to attach the decorative accessory 4 to the border28 of the shoe 2, as desired.

In one embodiment, the rear portion 22 of the body 14 has a loop 30 ofmaterial coupled thereto for facilitating gripping thereof during aninsertion of the foot of the wearer into the shoe 2. The loop 30 may beformed from a folded strip of material that is sewn at ends of the stripto the rear portion 22 of the body 14. The loop 30 allows the wearer topull upwardly on the rear portion 22 of the body 14 to slip the rearportion 22 over a heel of the wearer's foot. The loop 30 may furtherprovide a location for a logo, trade name, insignia, and the like on theshoe 2.

The shoe 2 has a sole 32 disposed between the foot of the wearer and theground. The sole 32 may be formed from any suitably durable material,such as rubber, plastic, or leather. The sole 32 may be formed from aplurality of layers to optimize durability and comfort. The sole 32 iscoupled to the upper 6. in an illustrative embodiment, at least aportion of the sole 32 has the loop fabric 8 secured to an outer surfacethereof. In particular, the sole 32 may have the loop fabric 8 securedto the outer surface adjacent the rear portion 22 of the body 14. Thelocation of the loop fabric 8 on the sole 32 near the rear of the shoe 2militates against the wearer inadvertently kicking and removing thedecorative accessory 4 while walking.

In certain embodiments, the shoe 2 includes a fastener 34 coupled to theupper 6 in an instep of the shoe 2. The fastener 34 is configured tosecure the shoe 2 to the foot of the wearer. As nonlimiting examples,the fastener 34 may include one of a shoestring, a zipper, and a hookand loop fastener. As illustrated in FIGS. 1-5, the fastener 34 may be ahook and loop fastener disposed across a top of the body 14 from oneside 18 to the other side 20. It should be appreciated, however, thatthe shoe 2 may be provided without the fastener 34, for example, in theform of a slip on design, as desired.

The fastener 34 may also be disposed adjacent a tongue 36 in the instepof the shoe 2. The tongue 36 is configured to separate the fastener 34from the foot of the wearer. At least a portion of each of the fastener34 and the tongue 36 may also have the loop fabric 8.

In view of the present disclosure, a skilled artisan should understandthat a shoe system for attachment of decorative accessories 4 isprovided, The shoe system includes the shoe 2 and the at least onedecorative accessory 4. As examples, the decorative accessory 4 mayinclude at least one of a character, a toy, a sticker, and an insignia.In particular, the shoe system allows a wearer to attach the decorativeaccessory 4 of a three dimensional character, as opposed to twodimensional charms, for example, to the shoe 2.

An exemplary decorative accessory 4 for attachment to the shoe 2 of thepresent disclosure is shown in FIGS. 4 and 6. The decorative accessory 4may have a base 38 with a substantially planar lower surface 40. Thehook fabric 10 may be secured to the substantially planar surface 40 ofthe base 38. For example, the hook fabric 10 is secured to the base 38with an adhesive. Other means for securing the hold fabric 10 to thebase 38 may also be employed.

In a particular embodiment, the three-dimensional decorative accessory 4may have a height H_(DA) greater than a width W_(DA) of the base 38. Theshoe system facilitates the attachment of the three-dimensionaldecorative accessory 4 to the shoe 2, having the height H_(DA) greaterthan the width W_(DA) of the base 38, in a substantially uprightposition.

The present disclosure further includes a method for customizing anappearance of the shoe 2. The method first includes the step ofproviding the shoe 2 and the at least one decorative accessory 4 of theshoe system, as described hereinabove. The wearer then aligns the hookfabric 10 of the decorative accessory 4 with the loop fabric 8 of theupper 6. By then pressing the decorative accessory 4 onto the upper 6,the decorative accessory 4 is removably attached to the shoe 2. Themethod may also include the steps of attaching further decorativeaccessories 4 to loop fabric 8 of the shoe 2, wherever the loop fabric 8may be disposed. For example, in an embodiment where the loop fabric 8is secured to the fastener 34, the decorative accessory 4 may belikewise attached to the fastener 34 of the shoe 2.

It should be appreciated that the present shoe 2 and related system andmethod facilitates the attachment and transportation of accessories 4,such as characters, toys, stickers, insignia, and the like, on the shoe2. Advantageously, the system allows a wearer to readily customize theshoe with different accessories 4. Unlike systems known in the art,where it may be difficult for the wearer to remove the decorativeaccessory 4 following insertion in a hole, for example, the presentsystem allows the wearer, and particularly a child wearer, to easilyremove the decorative accessory. The wearer may simply and repeatedlydecorate the shoe 2 with the system according to the present disclosure.

While certain representative embodiments and details have been shown forpurposes of illustrating the invention, it will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art that various changes may be made without departingfrom the scope of the disclosure, which is further described in thefollowing appended claims.

1. A shoe customizable with at least one decorative accessory, the shoecomprising: an upper for covering a foot of a wearer, at least a portionof the upper having a loop fabric, the loop fabric configured forremovable attachment of the at least one decorative accessory with ahook fabric to the upper.
 2. The shoe according to claim 1, whereinsubstantially an entire outer surface of the upper has the loop fabric.3. The shoe according to claim 1, wherein the upper includes an innerlayer, the loop fabric secured to the inner layer.
 4. The shoe accordingto claim 3, wherein the loop fabric is secured to the inner layer withan adhesive.
 5. The shoe according to claim 1, wherein the upperincludes a body having a front portion, a pair of side portions, and arear portion, the front portion having a width greater than a width ofthe rear portion, the front portion facilitating the attachment of aplurality of the at least one decorative accessory to the front portionof the upper.
 6. The shoe according to claim 5, wherein a ratio of thewidth of the front portion to the width of the rear portion is fromabout 1.25:1 to 1.75:1.
 7. The shoe according to claim 5, wherein eachof the side portions has a concave outer surface transitioning the rearportion of the body to the front portion of the body.
 8. The shoeaccording to claim 5, wherein a thickness of the body is substantiallythe same throughout the shoe.
 9. The shoe according to claim 5, whereinthe body has an aperture allowing an insertion of the foot of the wearerinto the shoe, and a border disposed adjacent the aperture, at least aportion of the border having the loop fabric.
 10. The shoe according toclaim 5, wherein the rear portion of the body includes a loop ofmaterial coupled thereto for facilitating an insertion of the foot ofthe wearer into the shoe, the loop of material having at least one of alogo, a trade name, and an insignia.
 11. The shoe according to claim 1,further comprising a sole for placement between the foot of the wearerand ground, the sole coupled to the upper, at least a portion of thesole having the loop fabric secured to an outer surface thereof.
 12. Theshoe according to claim 1, further comprising a fastener coupled to theupper, at least a portion of the fastener having the loop fabric securedto an outer surface thereof.
 13. The shoe according to claim 10, furthercomprising a tongue coupled to the upper and disposed beneath thefastener, at least portion of the tongue having the loop fabric securedto an outer surface thereof.
 14. A shoe system, comprising: a shoehaving an upper for covering a foot of a wearer, at least a portion ofthe upper formed from a loop fabric; and at least one decorativeaccessory having a hook fabric removably attaching the at least onedecorative accessory to the loop fabric of the upper.
 15. The shoesystem according to claim 14, wherein the decorative accessory has abase with a substantially planar surface, the hook fabric secured to thesubstantially planar surface of the base.
 16. The shoe system accordingto claim 15, wherein the hook fabric is secured to the base with anadhesive.
 17. The shoe system according to claim 15, wherein a height ofthe decorative accessory is greater than a width of the base, thedecorative accessory held in a substantially upright position whenremovably attached to the upper of the shoe.
 18. A method forcustomizing an appearance of a shoe, the method comprising the steps of:providing the shoe having an upper for covering a foot of a wearer, atleast a portion of the upper formed from a loop fabric; providing atleast one decorative accessory having at least a portion formed from ahook fabric; aligning the hook fabric of the decorative accessory withthe loop fabric of the upper; and pressing the decorative accessory ontothe upper, wherein the decorative accessory is removably attached to theupper of the shoe.
 19. The method according to claim 18, wherein thedecorative accessory is disposed in a substantially upright positionwhen removably attached to the upper of the shoe.
 20. The methodaccording to claim 18, wherein the shoe includes a body having a frontportion, a pair of side portions, and a rear portion, the front portionhaving a width greater than a width of the rear portion, the frontportion facilitating the attachment of a plurality of the decorativeaccessories to the front portion of the upper.